Method and apparatus for reducing respiratory illnesses among occupants of buildings

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for preventing the culturing of microorganisms, including molds, mildew, fungus, viruses, bacteria and insects, within the walls ( 10 ), ceilings ( 15 ) and floors ( 45 ) of a building ( 12 ) to eliminate these as a source of respiratory illness and fungal disease among the occupants of a building ( 12 ). The method comprises circulating drier, cleaner air into the space ( 24 ) between the interior surface ( 18 ) and exterior surface ( 20 ) of the wall ( 10 ), ceiling ( 15 ) and floor ( 45 ) of the building ( 12 ). The apparatus includes a pump ( 28 ) and a network of piping ( 26 ) installed in the walls ( 10 ), ceilings ( 15 ) and floors ( 45 ) and adapted to create a flow of dry air within the them that absorbs moisture which would otherwise promote the culturing of the microorganisms. Preferably, sensors ( 32 ) inside the wall ( 10 ), ceiling ( 15 ) and floor ( 45 ) are connected to a controller ( 30 ) to activate the pump ( 28 ) when the moisture level rises to a predetermined level.

This application claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No.60/208,412 filed May 31, 2000.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to construction techniques andmore particularly to the installation of utilities that improve the airwithin a building for its occupants.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Respiratory illnesses and fungal diseases cost hundreds of billions ofdollars each year in medical bills and lost productivity. They alsoclaim lives. A significant cause of respiratory illness and fungaldisease is the presence in the air of mold, mildew, fungus, viruses,bacteria and insects or their metabolites. Within a building,particularly an older one in which there are occupants who spend aconsiderable amount of their time, such as a home or an office building,the occupants may be exposed to toxic air laden with mold, mildew,fungus, viruses, bacteria insects and biological contaminants.

The prevalence of this bad air is greater near sources of moisture andin wetter climates, but it is a condition that tends to worsen over timefor each building. In particular, the interiors of the walls, floors andceilings of a home, when the weather is wet, tend to harbor and culturebacteria, molds, mildew, fungus, virus and insects. These interiors ofthe walls are dark and warm; all they need is moisture to have all therequisite conditions for culturing molds, mildew, fungus, viruses,bacteria and insects.

There remains a need for a method and apparatus for preventing theculturing of molds, mildew, fungus, viruses, bacteria and insects withinthe walls, ceilings and floors of a building.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to its major aspects and briefly recited, the presentinvention and insects within the walls, ceilings and floors of abuilding. The method comprises the primary step of circulating fresh,dry air into the spaces between the interior surfaces and exteriorsurfaces of the walls, ceilings and floors. The apparatus for performingthis step is a pump and a network of plastic piping installed in thewalls, ceilings and floors and adapted to create a steady flow of dry,clean air within the walls that absorbs moisture which would otherwisepromote the culturing of the molds, mildew, fungi, viruses, bacteria,and insects. Preferably, sensors inside the wall are connected to acontroller to activate the pump when needed.

In a preferred embodiment, the piping would also facilitate theinjection of fumigants including pesticides, fungicides, bactericide,and biocides.

An important feature of the present invention is the monitoring of themoisture level within the interior of the walls. By monitoring themoisture level, the occupants can determine if the conditions forculturing molds, fungi, viruses, bacteria and insects are developing.

Another important feature of the present invention is the piping andpump system. This system allows moisture to be removed before it risesto the level at which culturing conditions occur. Furthermore, it alsoserves as a vehicle for introducing more aggressive agents for thwartingmold, mildew, fungus, viruses, bacteria, and insects, that mightotherwise develop and for venting radon gas and its daughter products.

Still another feature of the present invention is the method ofcirculating air throughout the spaces in the walls of a building toprevent mold, mildew, fungus, viruses, bacteria and insects fromestablishing themselves in the walls, ceilings and floors where they cancause respiratory illness and fungal diseases in occupants of thebuilding. By preventing their occurrence, a significant cause ofrespiratory illness and fungal diseases is reduced or eliminated.

Yet another feature of the present invention is the use of a pump fordrawing air from the spaces in the walls and allowing clean, filtered,dry air to be pulled into those spaces rather than pumping air into themwhere it might create a pressure that would force air through the walls,floors and ceilings and deliver the mold, etc., into the interior roomsof a building.

Other features and their advantages will be apparent to those skilled inconstruction and in respiratory illnesses from a careful reading of theDetailed Description of Preferred Embodiments, accompanied by thefollowing drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the figures,

FIG. 1 is a side, cross sectional view of a building with an aircirculation system according to a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of an air circulation system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side, cross sectional view of a building with an aircirculation system, according to an alternative, preferred embodiment ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a front view of the air circulation system of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is a method and apparatus for reducing theincidence of respiratory illness and fungal disease among the occupantsof a building by eliminating a source of this type of illness that isassociated with the building itself. In particular, respiratory illnessand fungal disease are reduced by reducing the amount of mold, mildew,fungus, viruses, bacteria and insects carried by the air inside thebuilding by eliminating the conditions that would allow them to growinside the walls, ceilings and floors.

The term “building” generally refers to a home or an office building butmay be any building or structure where people spend a lot of time andwhich has walls formed by two spaced-apart surfaces (such as partitions)or which has walls with spaced-apart interior and exterior surfaces. Asillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, in conventional building construction, awall 10 of a building 12, having a ceiling 15, a foundation 25, an attic35 and a floor 45, is framed in pine “two-by-fours” with two-by-fourstuds 14, covered with sheet rock 16 that defines an interior surface18, and has an exterior surface 20 defined by any one (or combination)of a variety of materials 22 on the exterior including insulation, wood,bricks, and vinyl siding. Additional insulation may be installed betweenthe two-by-four studs. However, a space 24 existing between the studs 14and between the interior and exterior surfaces 18, 20, is dark and warm.All space 24 requires for culturing microorganisms is moisture. If themoisture level in the space is kept below 40%, and the moisture level inthe studs is kept below 20%, microorganisms cannot grow. The term “wall”is not intended to be restricted to vertical walls but also includesceilings and floors where there is a space between two layers that canharbor microorganisms.

The term “microorganisms” will be used herein to include bacteria,molds, fimgi, viruses, mildew, insects and their metabolites. The term“insects” includes cockroaches, fleas, dust mites, and termites, etc.

The present method primarily includes the step of drawing fresh, dry airinto the spaces between interior and exterior surfaces 18, 20, of walls10 and drawing damp air out of the spaces so that the moisture levelremains below that required for microorganisms to develop. Inparticular, the moisture level can be sensed and, when above a thresholdlevel, air at a lower level of moisture can be drawn into space 24.Preferably, as air is pumped out of the spaces from the bottom of thewalls, dry air is drawn into the spaces from the top of the wall. Thus,the present method also includes the circulation of dry, preferablyfiltered, air throughout space 24 within wall 10 and not just itsoccasional replacement. Air may be circulated continuously, for definedperiods at defined intervals of time, or when the relative humidity ofthe outside air rises above some preselected level. The present methodalso includes the injection of fumigants into the spaces to killmicroorganisms and venting radon gas and its daughter products to theatmosphere. Preferably the air is pumped from the bottom to draw fresh,dry, filtered air in from piping system 26 to replace it using negativepressure in the spaces rather than having air pumped into spaces 24, forpositive pressure which could result in a pressure inside wall 10 thatcould force air through sheet rock 16.

In order to accomplish the present method, a piping system 26 isinstalled in wall 10 of a building 12 and connected to a pump 28, acontroller 30 and a sensor 32. Sensor 32 monitors the moisture contentof the air in wall 10 and, when the moisture in space 24 within wall 10reaches a predesignated level, controller 30, responsive to sensor 32,will active pump 28. Pump 28 draws air from outside building 12, driesand filters in a conditioner, if necessary, and then allows it to bedrawn into wall 10 through holes 36 formed in an injection pipe 38.Simultaneously, air from inside wall 10 is pumped out through a hole 40in an extraction pipe 42 spaced apart from injection pipe 38, creating aflow of air inside wall 10 that removes the existing, moister air andreplaces it with drier air.

Periodically, a fumigant selected to eliminate mold, mildew, bacteriaand fungus can be injected into piping system 26 to kill anymicroorganisms that might have otherwise gotten established.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate an alternative, preferred embodiment of thepresent invention suitable for use in an existing building where thewalls are already in existence rather than the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and2 that is more suited for new construction. FIGS. 3 and 4 show abuilding 60, having a ceiling 62, an attic 64, a wall 66 a floor 68 anda foundation 70. Wall 66 has an interior surface 80 made of sheet rock82 and an exterior surface 84 made of any one of a variety of materials86. Between sheet rock 82 and materials 86 are a series of spaces 88between a series of studs 90.

A pump system 100 circulates fresh, dry, radon free filtered air througha piping system 102 into space 88 via an injection pipe 104 havingplural holes downcomers. An extraction pipe 108 having plural holes 110allows air from space 88 to be pumped from space 88 and vented to theatmosphere. Injection pipe 104 is connected to space 88 via pluraldowncomers 110 that run down through a top plate 120 accessible fromattic 64 and through holes 112 formed in an extraction pipe 108 isaccessible from bottom plate accessible either from a basement or crawlspace.

If radon gas and its daughter products are present in the air in a home,particularly in the basement, the present apparatus and method can beused to draw air from the house and vent it to the atmosphere in thesame way as described above. The negative pressure from pumping air fromthe walls and floors draws air into them from the interior spaces andbasement and forwards it to an exterior vent. Periodic checking with asensor such as a Geiger counter that detects radioactivity from radon orits daughter products, in combination with the interior volumetriccalculations, can be used to determine the frequency and duration ofventing.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for improving air quality inside abuilding, said building having walls with interior spaces, said methodcomprising the step of circulating air throughout said interior spacesof said walls of said building, wherein said air being circulated isless than 20% humidity.
 2. The method as recited in claim 1, furthercomprising the step of monitoring humidity in said interior spaces. 3.The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of sensinghumidity in said interior spaces, and wherein said circulating step istaken when said humidity rises above a preselected level.
 4. The methodas recited in claim 3, wherein said preselected level is 20% humidity.5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step ofinjecting fumigants into said interior spaces of said walls to killmicroorganisms.
 6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprisingthe step of filtering said air before circulating said air.
 7. Themethod as recited in claim 1, wherein said circulating step furthercomprises the step of pumping air out of said interior spaces to allowfresh air to enter said interior spaces.
 8. The method as recited inclaim 1, wherein said building has ceilings and floors with interiorspaces, and wherein said circulating step further comprises circulatingsaid air throughout said interior spaces of said ceilings and floors. 9.A method of improving air quality inside of a building, said buildinghaving walls with interior spaces, said method comprising the steps of:establishing piping in communication with said interior spaces of saidwalls; and pumping air having a humidity level below 20% into saidintenor spaces so that the humidity of said interior spaces is reducedto a level below 20%.
 10. The method as recited in claim 9, furthercomprising the step of injecting a fumigant into said interior spaces tokill microorganisms.
 11. The method as recited in claim 10, furthercomprising the step of sensing humidity in said interior spaces, andwherein said pumping step begins when said humidity rises toapproximately 20%.
 12. The method as recited in claim 10, furthercomprising the step of filtering said air before pumping said air intosaid interior spaces.
 13. The method as recited in claim 10, whereinsaid building has ceilings and floors with interior spaces, and whereinsaid piping is in communication with said interior spaces of saidceilings and said floors and said pumping steps includes pumping saidair into said interior spaces of said ceiling and floors.
 14. Apparatusfor improving air quality inside a building, said building having wallswith interior spaces, said apparatus comprising: a pump; and a pipingsystem installed in said interior spaces of said walls, said pipingsystem connected to said pump and having plural holes in said pipingsystem through which air, pumped by said pump flows when said pump pumpsair, wherein said building has ceilings and floors with interior spaces,and wherein said piping is installed in said interior spaces of saidceilings and floors so that said air can flow within said interiorspaces of said ceilings and floors.
 15. The apparatus as recited inclaim 14, further comprising conditioning means for conditioning air byremoving moisture and particulate from air, said conditioning meansbeing connected to said pump so that said conditioning means conditionssaid air being pumped by said pump before said air enters said wallthrough said plural holes in said piping system.
 16. The apparatus asrecited in claim 14, further comprising means for injecting fumigantsinto said interior spaces to kill microorganisms.
 17. The apparatus asrecited in claim 14, further comprising: sensor means for sensingmoisture in said interior spaces of said walls; and means for activatingsaid pump when said moisture sensed by said sensor means in saidinterior spaces rises above a pre-selected level.
 18. The apparatus asrecited in claim 14, wherein said pump pumps air out of said interiorspaces so that fresh air is drawn in by negative pressure in saidinterior spaces.
 19. A method of reducing radon gas inside of abuilding, said building having walls with interior spaces, said methodcomprising the steps of: establishing piping in communication with saidinterior spaces of said walls; pumping dr air from said interior spacesthrough said piping to create a negative pressure inside said buildingand reduce humidity in said interior spaces to less than approximately20%; and venting said air to the atmosphere.